So I arrived in Mbeya from Iringa on Wed afternoon - this trip was nowhere near as interesting as the previous and was only a mere 5 hours. I decided to stay at the local church youth hostel where the guidebook stated "all the backpackers ended up", this is only true if I am the only backpacker in Mbeya (which may actually be true although I did meet a couple of Austrian girls today). The hostel is .... fine, I have a double bed, a really decent mozzie ...

So I spent an extra day in Moshi recovering from my Kili hike and organised my bus to Iringa for Monday. I wasn't sure what to do about a bus to Iringa as there was conflicting information. The most legitimate/safest company had closed down which left Hood or Sumry. According to the guidebooks one should definitely steer clear of Hood - making trips in two legs instead if necessary - however some websites recommended Hood (the Tanzanian tourist board and Wiki tra...

So I rocked up at Peter tours office at 9 o'clock (filled with apprehension and excitement) and we headed for the Machame gate (1800M). When I arrived there I met the team of 6 staff (including my guide Praygod, a chef and 4 porters) who would have to walk up the mountain too just so I could have a jolly. I was really surprised by the number of people at the gate waiting to start the climb and was even more surprised to learn it was a quiet day (they have up to ...

So before I came away I think I'd told almost everyone that I was going to climb Kilimanjaro. However, I started to have second thoughts; the cost was a major issue, as was how enjoyable an experience it would be.Anyway I met a few people in Zanzibar who affirmed my fears that I might not enjoy it, however subsequent to this I met some more people who had really enjoyed it and since I'd gone to all the trouble of carrying a sleeping bag, thermals and a whole bunc...

Arrived in Kendwa today, this is the idyllic Zanzibar one thinks of when they think Zanzibar. Spent my first day in a hammock on the beach only moving for lunch, a brief walk and to book some diving for the next day. On Thursday I went diving, it was awesome, even managed to see a turtle! Thursday night involved a few pints and cocktails with a guy from Ireland I met on the island. All in all Kendwa was great, relaxing and beautiful. Off back to the mainland no...